Bieber Transportation Group
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Bieber Transportation Group was an American
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...
company based in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, operating intercity commuter buses,
charter bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...
es, and
tours Tours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabita ...
. The company provided bus service from the
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
and
Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley () is a geography, geographic and urban area, metropolitan region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh and Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton counties in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a co ...
regions of eastern
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
to
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
and
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. The company was founded by Carl R. Bieber in 1946. Bieber ended operations on February 8, 2019.


Service

Prior to ending operations in 2019, Bieber Transportation Group provided intercity commuter bus service from points in eastern
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
to
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
and the intersection of 8th Avenue and 39th Street in the
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...
section of
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Service was provided daily along a route running from
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
and the
Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley () is a geography, geographic and urban area, metropolitan region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh and Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton counties in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a co ...
to Philadelphia and a route running from Reading and the Lehigh Valley to New York City. Bieber offered one-way and round-trip tickets along with commuter books offering multiple tickets for commuters to use in a 30-day period. Bieber also offered
tour bus service A tour bus service is an escorted tour (sometimes a package holiday) or bus service that takes visitors sightseeing, with routes around tourist attractions. Information Double-decker buses and open top buses are commonly used, for pr ...
to domestic and international destinations, including casino excursions to
Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
. The company offered
charters A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the reci ...
for groups for single-day or multi-day trips along with weddings, airport transfers, casino excursions, and cruise ports.


Stop locations


Fleet

Bieber Transportation Group had a fleet of 54 buses, which included several luxury coaches. The fleet consisted of tour buses manufactured by
Motor Coach Industries Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is an American multinational bus manufacturer, specializing in production of motorcoaches. Best known for coaches produced for intercity transit and commuter buses, MCI produces coaches for a variety of applicat ...
,
Prevost Prevost, Prévost or Prévôt may refer to: * Prevost (surname), a French surname Places * Prévost (electoral district), Quebec, Canada * Prévost, Quebec, a community in the Laurentians region of Quebec, Canada ** Prévost station * Prevo ...
, and
Van Hool Van Hool NV () was a Belgium, Belgian coachbuilder and manufacturer of buses, Coach (bus), coaches, trolleybuses, and Semi-trailer, trailers. Most of the buses and coaches were built entirely by Van Hool, with engines and axles sourced from C ...
that can seat between 33 and 56 passengers. Amenities on the buses included heating and air conditioning, restrooms, PA system, DVD players, and AM/FM CD stereo.


Partnerships

Bieber Transportation Group served as the exclusive motorcoach carrier for sports teams such as the
Lehigh Valley Phantoms The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are a professional ice hockey team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The team competes in the American Hockey League (AHL) and serves as the primary development team for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey Le ...
,
Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...
, and the
Reading Royals The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the North Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Santander Arena located in downtown R ...
. The company also provided transportation to the sports teams of
Muhlenberg College Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German pat ...
and
DeSales University DeSales University (DSU) is a Private university, private Catholic university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, United States. The university offers traditional, online, and hybrid courses and programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. N ...
. Bieber formerly maintained a transportation relationship with
Kutztown University Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Kutztown University or KU) is a public university in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher ...
athletics.


History


20th century

Carl R. Bieber Sr. opened a trucking company in Kutztown in 1928. He gradually added buses to his fleet; in 1946 the company began charter bus service from the Lehigh Valley. In 1976, Bieber's son Carl R. Bieber Jr. took over the company. Company founder Carl R. Bieber died in 1991.


21st century

In 2001, Bieber Jr. sold the company to Steven G. Haddad, who kept the Bieber name. Bieber Jr. died on June 10, 2005, at the age of 62. Bieber acquired competitor Capitol Trailways in 2008. In October 2016, Bieber suspended service on a route from Schuylkill Haven and Pottsville to Reading and Philadelphia. In March 2018, Bieber ended bus service along a route connecting
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
,
Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...
, Pottstown,
Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
, and Norristown to New York City. In 2017, Bieber paid a $20,000 settlement to the
U.S. Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justice. It is equi ...
for failing to comply with the
Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ...
. In 2018, the
Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
filed a $915,736 lien against Bieber while the state of
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
filed a $187,143 lien against the company. In May 2018, a
Berks County Berks County (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading, the fourth-most populous city in the state. The ...
judge ordered Bieber to pay First National Bank of Pennsylvania $450,968 as part of a lawsuit. Bieber put their bus terminal in Reading up for sale in 2018. On July 28, 2018, the Bieber bus stop in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
moved from the
Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving ab ...
to 383
Madison Avenue Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York, that carries northbound one-way traffic. It runs from Madison Square (at 23rd Street) to meet the southbound Harlem River Drive at 142nd Stree ...
at East 47th Street due to an unpaid $214,000 bill to the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate c ...
for use of the terminal. Bieber had previously missed payments to the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate c ...
and was threatened with termination notices in 2008, 2010, and 2012; with the termination in 2018 being permanent.
Trans-Bridge Lines Trans-Bridge Lines is an interstate bus transportation company operating based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It operates in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and offers daily service from the Lehigh Valley to both New York City and Philadelphia. ...
took over Bieber's gate at Port Authority Bus Terminal and implemented service from Wescosville and
Hellertown Hellertown is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its population was 6,131 at the 2020 census. Hellertown is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 and was the 68th-most populous m ...
to New York City. On August 20, 2018, the stop in New York City moved to West 31st Street between
7th Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season ep ...
and 8th Avenues. Starting August 27, 2018, Bieber buses heading toward New York City ran to the
Weehawken Port Imperial Port Imperial is a community centered around an intermodal transit hub on the Weehawken, New Jersey, waterfront of the Hudson River across from Midtown Manhattan, served by New York Waterway ferries and buses, Hudson–Bergen Light Rail, a ...
ferry terminal in
Weehawken, New Jersey Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the Hudson Waterfront and Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's po ...
, where a
NY Waterway NY Waterway, or New York Waterway, is a private transportation company running ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley. The company utilizes public-private partnership with agencies such as the Por ...
ferry provided a connection across the
Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
to New York City; the ferry ride was included in the price of the bus ticket. On November 6, 2018, Bieber buses resumed direct service into New York City with a stop at the intersection of 8th Avenue and 39th Street, with service to Weehawken Port Imperial discontinued. On February 8, 2019, Bieber abruptly cancelled all bus service and later announced that the company was going out of business after 72 years due to decreasing ridership and increasing expenses. During the closing, employees of the company were having trouble getting their paychecks and were seen packing up their belongings at the company headquarters in Kutztown.


References


External links

{{NYC surface transit 1946 establishments in Pennsylvania 2019 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Bus transportation in New York (state) Bus transportation in Pennsylvania Companies based in Berks County, Pennsylvania Intercity bus companies of the United States Transportation companies based in Pennsylvania Transport companies disestablished in 2019 Transport companies established in 1946